Top Android stories of the week (September 16th)
The amount of Android news each week can be overwhelming, but you can follow the best of the best with an app called EarlyBird – News for Android. It includes ALL of the Android news you crave and lets users decide what matters most to them.
EarlyBird has recently received a huge update that allows you to subscribe to specific topics so you never miss stories about your favorite things! Download the app on the Google Play Store or, for desktop users, find related discussion in the Android Forums News section.
Here’s what you picked as your favorite news stories for the week:
#10 – Google Maps speed limit
40 likes – A new update to the Google Maps app will now display the speed limit of whichever road or highway you are traveling on. It appears that this only activates if your device is being used in Android Auto.
#9 – Note 7 Remote Deactivation
40 likes – There were some initial reports that Samsung would be remotely deactivating any defective Galaxy Note 7 devices that were not exchanged after September 30th. These reports have been refuted by the company and Samsung confirms they do not have a “remote deactivation” plan in the works.
#8 – Action Launcher 3 update
40 likes – Popular third-party launcher, Action Launcher 3, was recently updated and included many of the features that are already included in the leaked APK of the Pixel Launcher. This includes the new Android Nougat folder background and the new Google widget with the date which can be configured to load an app of your choice.
#7 – EarlyBird Features Poll
41 likes – After a successful launch of the EarlyBird application, we are looking to see what kind of changes you would like to see in a future update. The options are:
– Dark Theme
– Cover more tech topics (beyond just Android)
– Condense notifications (into one, like GMail)
– Advanced notification options (Do not disturb times, etc…)
– Ability to use the app as a guest
Be sure to hit the link below and let us know what you would like to see.
#6 – Google Pixel Launcher
41 likes – A few weeks ago, the new launcher for the 2016 Nexus devices was leaked. Since then, it appears that Google will be renaming these devices with a “Pixel” moniker, and an updated APK has leaked which reflects the changes and is now named the “Pixel Launcher”.
#5 – Google Maps beta update
42 likes – The beta Google Maps application has been updated to version 9.37 with new changes such as a shortcut to your timeline, organized notification settings screen, and a new personal content settings screen.
#4 – Pixel Snapdragon 821
44 likes – No devices released in the United States have been released with Qualcomm’s latest mobile processor, the Snapdragon 821. A new rumor from David Ruddock of Android Police suggests that the new Pixel devices will be the first devices released in the States with this processor.
- Source: Twitter
- Discuss at Android Forums
#3 – Chrome Read It Later
48 likes – Google has updated its Dev and Beta Chrome applications to include a new “Read It Later” functionality. The feature works when you tap the three-dot overflow menu and select “Keep tab in Chrome”. It’s expected that this feature will make its way to Chrome 54 when released in October.
#2 – Pixel XL Pricing
49 likes – The Google Pixel XL has to be announced, but a new rumor is suggesting that the device will be priced at $649, and will be available via financing through Google. It’s also not known if this price is for the base 32GB model, or the higher-end 128GB version.
#1 – Google Play file sizes
59 likes – The Google Play Store is starting to showcase the file sizes for various applications that appear within the list view of apps and games. This has yet to roll out to everyone, but makes it easier to see how large an application is without going into the “Read More” section of an apps description.
What’s YOUR top news item for the week?
Disagree with the Top 10? Let us know in the comments and vote for yourself everyday by downloading EarlyBird on Google Play!